


from the faces you glimpse through the glass

by sympathy_for_hordak (sparrow0)



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Background Double Trouble/Entrapta, Background Entrapta/Hordak, Deception, Drabble, Gen, Humor, Meta, Post-Canon, Season/Series 04 Spoilers, Soft Hordak (She-Ra)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21752695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrow0/pseuds/sympathy_for_hordak
Summary: "Hordak became a much better role when I realized how much of him was a performance. He wrote his own part and transformed himself, kitten," Double Trouble purred, their red eyes glowing.Or: post-canon, post-redemption, post-recovery, something silly happens.
Relationships: Catra & Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	from the faces you glimpse through the glass

_It's going to be fine_ , Catra told herself. _Hordak and Entrapta wouldn't do anything bad to Double Trouble. Those nerds are loyal to Glimmer now, like everybody else. There's no reason to be nervous. Double Trouble's probably not even here._

Catra took a deep breath and walked into the Sanctum. Entrapta was sitting on the throne, flanked by two people who appeared to be Lord Hordak, one of her hair tendrils around each of their shoulders. 

Entrapta waved. "Hi Catra! I've been experimenting with alien physiology. Wanna help?" 

"No, thanks," Catra said. "I was looking for Double Trouble." 

The Hordaks looked at each other. "Hi, Catra. What havoc shall we cause today?" said the one on the left, awkward. 

The Hordak on the right smiled, fangs glinting. "Nice try, but your impressions still need work. Let's go, kitten." 

The Hordak on the right - Double Trouble, apparently - strolled down the steps and looked down at Catra. 

Entrapta stood, and the left Hordak said, "We have important data to collect," and walked into the lab with her, one of his hands moving down her back. 

~~~

"Why are you even in that shape?" Catra asked Double Trouble, as they walked down the hall. "I hope it's just for Entrapta." 

"Hordak became a much better role when I realized how much of him was a performance. He wrote his own part and transformed himself, kitten," Double Trouble purred in Hordak's voice, their red eyes glowing. 

Double Trouble loomed over Catra. "He's just so _extra_. I have conquered countless worlds! I will destroy all of the Princesses and all of their works! You're all failures!" Double Trouble ranted, ending in a wordless growl of fury. 

Catra laughed. "Yeah, that's him." 

Double Trouble relaxed, softening their stance and resting an armored elbow on Catra's shoulder. "Aw, kitten, thank you," they purred. "The brooding is fun, too." 

Double Trouble let their ears droop, curled in on themselves, and bowed their head, looking down at the pink crystal on their collar. "I'm haunted by my dark past," they said softly. "I pretend to be merciless and indomitable, but it's all faked. I once understood kindness as well as bats understand the inky depths of the oceans, and now I have received mercy beyond my wildest expectations. My heart is as soft as my gown is black."

Catra tilted her head, grinning. "That's pretty spooky, but I feel like he usually cries more. Come on, do Adora again," she requested. 

There was a moment of silence. The person beside Catra stiffened. 

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Catra," Hordak said, looking down at her, his ears low. 

Catra's ears flattened against her head, shocked. "No. No way," she exclaimed. "There were two of you! I saw you! Hordak couldn't pose as you for half a second. I saw him leave, with Entrapta. You're messing with me, Double Trouble. He was practically touching her butt!" 

Hordak flung his shoulders back, clenched his fists, and bared his fangs. "Yes, as we've covered, I am extremely shouty and difficult at all times! I would never permit another to take advantage of my Princess! I will crush them for their insubordination! Fools! I will show them all!" 

Abruptly, Hordak stopped and knelt before Catra, smiling. "My apologies, my former second-in-command."

Catra put her face in her hands. "You're so weird, Hordak. Why did you do this?" 

"Catra," Hordak said gently, looking up at her. "Catra, you attempted to convince Bow that brown ration bars were made from defeated Horde soldiers. Two nights before the Dolphin Social, you told Adora that they'd changed the dress code to forbid red, black, and white. You sent a diplomatic missive marked 'highest priority' to Salineas, pleading for help with an ecological disaster you'd copied out of a _Mer-Mysteries_ novel. You bragged about all of these things to Double Trouble. They believed you overdue for a scene calling someone else's bluff." 

Catra sighed. "Fair, I guess. So, _are_ you cool with Double Trouble 'experimenting' with your girlfriend?" 

Hordak shrugged as he stood. "My impression was that it's the other way around, and I never could deny her anything." 

"Wow, Hordak. When did you become such a pushover?"

Hordak raised his eyebrows. "Catra. My lab partner is involved with Double Trouble, who has no little knowledge of you and Adora. Are you certain you'd like me to respond to that?" 

Catra's ear flicked in irritation. "Forget I said anything. Where's the actual Double Trouble? They were supposed to come with me to Bright Moon today. Ugh, I bet they're going to tell everybody about this."

A screen flickered on behind Hordak. One Entrapta was perched on each arm of Hordak's throne. "Yes, kitten, we totally are!" the left Entrapta declared. 

Catra backed up, slowly. 

In unison, the Entraptas announced, "Our experiments went well! Did yours?"

"I'm not certain. Would you say so?" Hordak asked Catra. 

"I guess. Next time, try to make me laugh as yourself," Catra instructed. 

Hordak nodded. "We have an understanding."

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Stars' ["From the Night"](https://genius.com/Stars-from-the-night-lyrics). 
> 
> Thank you to Lady Malinore on Discord for encouraging the chatfic version of this work, and to [livielightyear](https://www.ao3.org/users/livielightyear/pseuds/livielightyear) for betaing. 
> 
> If this was tricky to follow: the narration is dishonest about which one is the real Hordak until the line "I'm afraid I can't do that, Catra," delivered by the one Catra thought was Double Trouble. 
> 
> I still don't feel like I understand how to write Catra, but she's great, and I'm working on it.


End file.
